Reading Lab

A related objective of the Reading Lab is to help students prepare for the Reading Comprehension Exam. This is accomplished toward the end of the semester by students accessing online practice skills sites and by offering the RCE workshop to interested classes.

The Reading Lab primarily offers help to students taking developmental reading classes. Our overall objective is to assist students in sharpening reading skills. Lab staff works with classroom instructors to coordinate lab work and class work. Students work with lab materials that focus on strengthening individual areas of reading weaknesses. The three main areas that students will practice in the lab are reading rate, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. The lab is linked to developmental English courses and the skills necessary to show reading proficiency in order to successfully undertake academic work.

Students’ progress is monitored and evaluated in portfolios of individual work. Individual and class orientations are given at the beginning of each semester and during the semester for new students and visiting classes. Some tutoring is available in the lab by the coordinator upon request.

To help students learn reading skills in a classroom setting, some reading instructors bring their classes to the lab while students do individual student work.Our Hours

This software matches the vocabulary lessons in the Townsend Press Groundwork, Building, Improving and Advancing Vocabulary series and the lessons in the Townsend Reading series, Groundwork, Building, Improving and Advancing Reading Skills.

This software enables us to accurately track student attendance and usage. It replaces sign in sheets and can generate reports.

Reading Lab Policy Guidelines

The Reading Lab is a place to learn reading skills through computer exercises and interactions with teachers or the lab coordinator. The following policies (rules) will help everyone to work more productively in the lab.

General Policies

All food, drinks, cell phone usage, audio players and magnets are prohibited in the lab. Your cell phone or other electronic devices should be off and put away. Reading comprehension requires focused concentration.

Please treat all our equipment with care.

The reading lab is for reading skills learning only. If you need to use the computer for other courses or personal reasons you may go to one of the other computer labs on campus such as the computer lab on the fourth floor or use the computers in the student center. Other course related labs are found on campus for math, biology, writing, languages as well as general course work that be done in the Learning Center.

Please be considerate of your neighbors and speak quietly and do not use inflammatory or profane language.

Throw away all trash from your area when you leave the lab.

Since our computers are reading courses specific you are not to engage in internet surfing or socialization.

Use of flash or thumb drives is discouraged unless it is checked for viruses before use.

Lab Specific Rules

When you are using the lab as part of your class work and attendance you must remain in the lab working on your reading comprehension program the whole class period. You are to arrive on time and not be coming and going.

When you arrive you are to sign on by typing your student information into the Accutrack system and you MUST sign out when you leave. Do not simply start working on a computer without signing in or you will not receive credit and your work might be credited to someone else. Also you must log off of any program you are using before singing out of Accutrack.

You are expected to use the reading software in this lab or the designated reading internet sites. It is not an open lab for general computer use. Please respect these boundaries.

The coordinator and lab assistants are here to assist you. Please let them know when you are having difficulties. The lab coordinator is also a reading tutor and you can request tutoring.

Lab Assistant Qualifications / Job Responsibilities

Minimum Educational/Skill Requirements:

Graduation from high school or equivalent. General knowledge of basic computer applications. Good oral communication skills. Ability to relate well with students of diverse socio-economic-cultural-linguistic backgrounds.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Oversee proper use of computers by students by direct observation and use of computer monitoring software

Maintain security of computer equipment.

Acquire knowledge of reading skills learning software used in the lab so that employee can instruct, guide, and instruct students in use of the same.

Conduct lab orientation programs to various classes during the first month of each semester.

Insure that students abide by their lab contract.

Assist in cleaning equipment – dusting tables and computers

Assist in installing software updates.

Generate and distribute reports to faculty relative to software use and attendance.